Improvement in barrels



1.6.MO0RE & P. HICKEY.

Barrels -No.154,76 3." Patented Sept-8,1874.

Witnesses. Inventors;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES O. MOORE AND PATRICK HICKEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BARRELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 154,763, datedfieptember 8,1874; application filed July 8, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES C. MOORE and PATRICK HIoKEY, both of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Barrels and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part hereof.

Our invention consists of a metallic head forming a head and plain top hoop, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the said head applied to a barrel; Fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of the head stamped up.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our improvement, we will describe its construction and operation.

The barrel, cask, or keg is made in the ordinary way, as shown, of wood. The hoop for the upper rim, which is usually placed upon the barrel after the head has been inserted, is discarded altogether, and, in place thereof, our improved head is wedged tightly thereon, and serves to unite the staves at their upper extremities. Thehead is made by the ordinary stamping or pressing processes used to stamp up light or heavy sheet metal.

Both heads of the cask may be so applied, or, which is preferable, only the head which it is desired to remove in opening the vessel.

We use sheet iron of such thickness as to suit the class of work for which it is intended, and the degree of rough usage to which the cask will be subjected in shipment. After the head is applied and wedged down tightly into place, it is secured in position by indenting, or by small nails driven through the overlapping run.

We are well aware that blackingboxes and small cans have heretofore been covered with struck-up heads, the flange of the head simply serving to unite the top and sides, either by the addition of solder, asin the cans, or by means of friction, as in blacking-boxes; and we do By our device the barrel is completedby' putting on the top hoop, and the head is inserted by the same operation, the hoop thus serving the double purpose of clasping the staves and securing the head; and, further, as the head is very strong, it can be used an "infinite number of times, the first labor and cost being less, and the saving being great in the end, the chine in the inside of the top of the barrel being unnecessary, as well as the groove. Thus a great saving of time and labor is effected, and a perfectly-tight barrel is made.

We are well aware that a device somewhat.

similar to ours is described in the patent of J ohn Connolly, dated J uly 21, 1863, numbered 39,27 4; but the combined head and hoop there described is costly, and difficult to use in practice, being applied to the barrel by a screw, and requiring special attachments for practical use, and we do not claim this as onrinvention but Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

The metallic head forming ahead and plain hoop, the latter so constructed as to receive the ends of the staves, and, by being pushed or jammed down upon them, to force them closely together, substantially as described.

' JAMES U. MOORE. PATRICK HIOKEY. Witnesses:

GEORGE E. BUoKLEY, ALBERT E. ZAoHERLE. 

